Facing severe drought and water use restrictions, a Southern California municipal power plant partnered with Puretec Industrial Water to pioneer a water reclamation project that transformed treated wastewater into high-purity water for power generation. Through a customized filtration system, Puretec successfully provided high-purity water essential for steam generation, reducing the plant’s reliance on potable water and setting a new standard for sustainable water management in the power industry.
The Challenge: Adapting to Drought and Water Use Restrictions
In response to ongoing drought conditions and stringent water use restrictions, a Southern California municipal power plant needed to find a new water source for its cooling and steam generation processes. Having relied on the local potable water supply for decades, the plant faced an urgent need to identify an alternative that could meet the high-purity standards required for power generation. The local sewage plant offered a potential solution: low-cost Title-22 tertiary treated wastewater, but the plant had to determine whether this water could be safely used for their critical operations.
The Solution: Engineering a High-Purity Water Treatment System for Wastewater Reuse
Puretec Industrial Water addressed the plant’s challenge by designing a tailored water treatment system capable of transforming treated wastewater into high-purity water suitable for power generation. The solution involved a multi-stage filtration process, including microfiltration pretreatment, reverse osmosis (RO), and mixed bed ion exchange deionization. This comprehensive system ensured the water met the Electric Power Research Institute’s (EPRI) rigorous standards for combined cycle and steam generation power plants. Puretec also entered into a long-term service contract to operate and maintain the system, guaranteeing a consistent supply of purified reclaimed water.
Successful Delivery: Reducing Potable Water Use with Sustainable Water Reclamation
The innovative water reclamation project marked a significant milestone, winning the plant the Powerplant Award from Combined Cycle Journal, as it successfully provided the required high-purity water while drastically reducing the plant’s potable water consumption. Puretec’s bespoke equipment and long-term commitment under a 20-year Build-Own-Operate agreement ensured reliable performance and sustainability. The project demonstrated the feasibility of reclaiming wastewater for new applications and set a precedent for future initiatives in the power generation sector. The plant’s decision to extend its partnership with Puretec further underscores the success of this groundbreaking solution.
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